We sat down for a quick chat with Tom Clarkson & Owen Visser about their upcoming project, A Christmas Thing
You’ve been making each other laugh since childhood. Can you tell us a bit about how this long friendship evolved into creating The Christmas Thing together?
TOM: It’s a bit of a long old story
OWEN: Give us the short version
TOM: Well, we met when we were 5 and we built a friendship on making stupid things together which we’ve done ever since. About 10 years ago we booked a pub theatre for a night without really knowing what we were going to do, then we came up with this idea that we could host a night of Things. Things we like, Things are friends are doing, Things people in the audience might want to show us… and people really liked it!
OWEN: This is already not very short.
TOM: So, we did it again in bigger spaces, and took it on tour, and we dreamed about doing a Christmas special version…
OWEN: Something based on the old TV Christmas Specials where you’d have special guests arriving unannounced, drunk celebrities playing board games or news readers tap dancing.
TOM: We realised that nobody really did anything like that anymore and the more we realised that the more we decided that we should! So, we did!
Things famously don’t always go to plan in the show – props misbehave, tech plays tricks. How much of the chaos is planned… and how much is genuinely unpredictable?
TOM: As well as co-hosting the show, Owen is controlling everything from a desk on the stage… moving cameras, sound effects, lighting, a remote-controlled Debbie McGee, a Robot drummer and a ping pong ball firing bum.
OWEN: It’s a lot.
TOM: Some would say too much.
OWEN
Many do.
TOM: …and that shows in the amount that tends to go wrong every night! I bound around playing games, sticking cameras on people’s heads, inviting people on stage to show us their party tricks…
OWEN: And I have to keep up.
TOM: Some would say you often don’t.
OWEN: Many do.
TOM: And the chaos of it all being on the brink of falling apart is the Mr. Thing sweet spot!
How would you describe the way you work together creatively?
TOM: I’ve listened to lots of podcasts recently of how people collaborate creatively or how writer’s rooms are run… and those are really interesting and important conversations… but we’re kind of lucky that we don’t have to think about any of that. We’ve known each other forever and the thing that makes us both happy is just making the other one laugh.
OWEN: Speak for yourself, what makes me happy is chicken nuggets.
TOM: Oh well, of course. Chicken nuggets and THEN making each other laugh.
OWEN: What about the feeling of fresh sheets?
TOM: We’ll make a list and get back to you.
You’re returning to Seven Dials Playhouse after a successful 2024 run. What makes this venue the right home for your festive madness?
OWEN: We love Seven Dials! It’s such a perfect home for our show because it really feels like you’re walking into a TV studio.
TOM: And the team there are the best. It really does feel like home for us. But like a lockdown home, one that we never leave and get quite drunk in.
How do you want audiences to feel when they leave The Christmas Thing?
OWEN: As well as full of festive cheer, we want to them to feel like the show they just experienced will never quite happen in the same way again!
TOM: And like they want to buy some merch, which is also available online and would make an excellent gift for loved ones and colleagues.
Finally, if you could sum up The Christmas Thing in three words each… what would they be?”
OWEN: Something uniquely different.
TOM: Just really fun!
‘The Christmas Thing’ is at Seven Dials Playhouse from 2nd – 20th December. For tickets and more information, visit: https://www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk/shows/the-christmas-thing